स होवाच ।न वा अरे पत्युः कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति ।न वा अरे जायायै कामाय जाया प्रिया भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय जाया प्रिया भवति ।न वा अरे पुत्राणां कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्ति ।न वा अरे वित्तस्य कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवति ।न वा अरे पशूनां कामाय पशवः प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय पशवः प्रियं भवति ।न वा अरे ब्रह्मणः कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं भवति ।न वा अरे क्षत्रस्य कामाय क्षत्रं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय क्षत्रं प्रियं भवति ।न वा अरे लोकानां कामाय लोकाः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय लोकाः प्रिया भवन्ति ।न वा अरे देवानां कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्ति ।न वा अरे वेदानां कामाय वेदाः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय वेदाः प्रिया भवन्ति ।न वा अरे भूतानां कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि भवन्ति ।न वा अरे सर्वस्य कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवति ।आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यो मैत्रेयि ।आत्मनि खल्वरे दृष्टे श्रुते मते विज्ञात इदं सर्वं विदितम् ॥बृह. ४,५.६ ॥
In plain words
He said: "It is not for the sake of the husband that the husband is dear, but for the sake of the self that the husband is dear. It is not for the sake of the wife that the wife is dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of sons that sons are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of wealth that wealth is dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of cattle that cattle are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of the priestly power that the priestly power is dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of the ruling power that the ruling power is dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of the worlds that the worlds are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of the gods that the gods are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of the Vedas that the Vedas are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of beings that beings are dear, but for the sake of the self. It is not for the sake of all that all is dear, but for the sake of the self that all is dear. The Self, Maitreyī, is to be seen, to be heard, to be thought upon, to be meditated upon; for when the Self is seen, heard, thought upon and known, all this is known.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
आत्मनि खलु अरे मैत्रेयि दृष्टे; कथं दृष्ट आत्मनीति, उच्यते- पूर्वम् आचार्यागमाभ्यां श्रुते, पुनः तर्केणोपपत्त्या मते विचारिते, श्रवणं तु आगममात्रेण, मते उपपत्त्या, पश्चात् विज्ञाते- एवमेतत् नान्यथेति निर्धारिते; किं भवतीत्युच्यते- इदं विदितं भवति; इदं सर्वमिति यत् आत्मनोऽन्यत्, आत्मव्यतिरेकेणाभावात् ॥
In plain words
'When the Self is truly seen' — but how is it seen? First you hear it, from a teacher and from scripture. Then you reflect on it, testing it with reasoning. Hearing rests on scripture alone; reflection rests on reasoning. Only after that comes direct knowing — the certainty that it is exactly this way and no other way. And what follows from that? Everything becomes known. Because 'everything' is simply whatever seems other than the Self — and apart from the Self, nothing exists at all.
Close to the Sanskrit
'When the Self, indeed, O one, Maitreyī, is seen' — how is it seen in the Self? It is explained: first heard through the teacher and scriptural tradition; next reflected upon by reasoning and inference; hearing being by scripture alone, reflection by reasoning; afterward known — ascertained as 'thus it is, not otherwise.' What results? It is said: this becomes known. 'This all' means whatever is other than the Self — because apart from the Self there is no existence.